Robert Conti TTI Vol 3, Project 3 (Watermelon Man)

**losaltosjoe** · 07-01-2018, 03:48 PM

Robert Conti Ticket To Improv Volume 3, Project 3 (Watermelon Man)

The Robert Conti Study Group is now working on Ticket To Improv, Volume 3: The Blues!

This is the thread for Project 3 (Watermelon Man): An entry level improvised solo based on the chord progression to Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man.

All are welcome.

Our study group has evolved a few basic guidelines that have helped us. These are based on the fact that most of us are either beginners in jazz improvisation or old hands who still feel like we haven't gotten a good grip on soloing yet. So, here's what we do:

We move at the pace of 8 measures per week, learning the exercise solo composed by Conti and transcribed in the digital transcription booklet on the DVD. Some get behind, some run a bit ahead, but generally 8 measures per week is the norm.
We post a video clip each week, typically on Tuesday, of ourselves playing the scheduled chunk.
We use any background track we like. Conti has one on the DVD, but many other sources exist, and we use whatever we want!
We don't do much critique, but sometimes do openly ask for advice. Mainly, we cheer, support, encourage, and empower each other. We don't offer criticism unless it's asked for, but positive advice is helpful.
We try to learn the solo as written and also to make it our own in phrasing and timing.
Some like to post a clip playing an arrangement of the "head" of the tune. That's fine, we enjoy it, but nobody is obligated or expected to do that.
We avoid detailed wrangling over theory, but seek to grow in the actual practice of playing.
We don't branch off much into other approaches to the tunes, other solos, other styles. We have succeeded so far because we stay focused!
We don't regard any of these guidelines as inflexible and we don't get in arguments about it!

Here is a proposed schedule for posting:
July 10: Measures 1-8
July 17: Measures 9-16
July 24: Options, Tips, Changes (Don't Panic!), Insight & Advice
July 31: Final Take: Full 16 Bar Solo with Head (optional)

If you are planning to do this, please post a simple "I'm In!" or something like it.

**Dio666** · 07-02-2018, 09:27 AM

I'm in!

**losaltosjoe** · 07-02-2018, 08:13 PM

FYI. Robert Conti is holding his annual Firecracker Sale. 25% Off Learning Resources. Ends July 8th - No Coupon Code Required.

Further details at : How to play jazz guitar with Robert Conti - No Modes No Scales(R)

Also our study group's own Dio666 is featured on the Conti site! Check it out at:
Plays and sounds as good as it looks • Conti Guitars
Congrats Chris!

**rlrhett** · 07-02-2018, 08:52 PM

Good time to get the next Conti book. What are we doing next? I’m ready to get a book!

EDIT:

D’oh! I see there is a vol 4. I thought it we were done with the series and didn’t know whether we were going to the Pro Chord Melody series or Advanced Improv series. Guess we will cross that bridge in a couple of months or so!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

**Dio666** · 07-03-2018, 10:45 AM

Good time to get the next Conti book. What are we doing next? I’m ready to get a book!

EDIT:

D’oh! I see there is a vol 4. I thought it we were done with the series and didn’t know whether we were going to the Pro Chord Melody series or Advanced Improv series. Guess we will cross that bridge in a couple of months or so!

I just ordered the advanced solos for Green Dolphin Street and Satin Doll with the Firecracker sale going on. I plan to finish all of the TTI solos, but I may start the advanced Green Dolphin Street concurrently if I can find some extra practice time. I would be up for doing an advanced solo or Pro Chord Melody piece as a study group after we finish TTI Vol. 4. But that will be a while yet.

Also, after we finish Watermelon Man, we may want to do the Bonus Jam on "The Rummy!" next. He teaches the head, and then it's four choruses of a 12-bar blues where we can try to mix and match some of the lines we've learned. That could be a good way to wrap up TTI Volume 3.

Chris

**Dio666** · 07-05-2018, 02:06 AM

I think this was the easiest Ticket to Improv solo yet. I got the whole thing down in two practice sessions. But one of the main points of this lesson, I think, is to learn how to embellish the lines. He talks about it quite a bit in the DVD after he teaches the solo. So I'm working on that now, but thought I would post a video of my playing the solo as written first. I have a vacation coming up, so it will probably be a couple of weeks before I get a chance to learn and record a version with some "thunder and lighting" added.

**losaltosjoe** · 07-09-2018, 02:39 PM

Here's my take on Volume 3, Project 3 (Watermelon Man), Bars 1-8. I skipped the opening 16th note phrase (bar 1, beat 1) for now. I included 2 passes at the first 8 bars in the video.

I agree with Dio666 that this is one of the easier Conti solos to learn but really a fun one to play.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-09-2018, 02:45 PM

Watched the DVD this morning and played over the first 8 bars during my morning practice. I should have a video up soon.

**losaltosjoe** · 07-14-2018, 05:29 PM

Here's my take on Volume 3, Project 3 (Watermelon Man), Bars 1-16, the full solo. I played this pretty much as written except for skipping the opening 16th note phrase (bar 1, beat 1). I find this solo really fun to play.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-21-2018, 10:12 AM

Hope this is smoother (and louder) next time round. Several of my laptop's USB ports are not working, so I couldn't use an external mic today. Should have that problem fixed soon.

**losaltosjoe** · 07-21-2018, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Hope this is smoother (and louder) next time round. Several of my laptop's USB ports are not working, so I couldn't use an external mic today. Should have that problem fixed soon.

Good to see you back on the thread Mark! Well done!

**MarkRhodes** · 07-21-2018, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by losaltosjoe

Good to see you back on the thread Mark! Well done!

Thanks!
I've had some family matters to attend to that have kept me from recording much lately. And also some computer woes---I think it's time for a new laptop, so I'm shopping today.

Look forward to getting back in regular rotation with the rest of the gang. I like this solo. Tasty. At first I wondered why the heck Conti did it in Bb----"Watermelon Man" is usually played in F---but it lays out nice on the guitar and the lines can be used in lots of tunes.

Looking forward to moving on to TTI Vol. 4 after we get through "The Rummy."

**padraig** · 07-25-2018, 11:12 AM

Hi,

I've not played guitar for years but I've got some time off work and I fancy getting back in to it.

I had all the Robert Conti books and dvd's - the whole "source code" series. I remember the chord melody ones being particularly good - it was like a "aha!" moment when I started going through them. I've not a clue where all that stuff went when I moved house.

If I reorder them from the website can I join in with the study projects? It might be some time before they arrive though.

Thanks.

**Dio666** · 07-27-2018, 10:19 AM

Hi,

I've not played guitar for years but I've got some time off work and I fancy getting back in to it.

I had all the Robert Conti books and dvd's - the whole "source code" series. I remember the chord melody ones being particularly good - it was like a "aha!" moment when I started going through them. I've not a clue where all that stuff went when I moved house.

If I reorder them from the website can I join in with the study projects? It might be some time before they arrive though.

Thanks.

Of Course, we would love to have you aboard! We're getting close to wrapping up Ticket To Improve Volume 3 and will be going to Volume 4 next.

Chris

**losaltosjoe** · 07-27-2018, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by padraig

Hi,

I've not played guitar for years but I've got some time off work and I fancy getting back in to it.

I had all the Robert Conti books and dvd's - the whole "source code" series. I remember the chord melody ones being particularly good - it was like a "aha!" moment when I started going through them. I've not a clue where all that stuff went when I moved house.

If I reorder them from the website can I join in with the study projects? It might be some time before they arrive though.

Thanks.

Hi Padraig,

We would love to have you join our group. All are welcome! The study group was formed over a year ago to work through Robert Conti's Ticket To Improv DVD series. We will be wrapping up Volume 3, Project 3 on July 31 and will then begin the Volume 3 Bonus Track ("The Rummy") in early August. I estimate that we will begin Volume 4 in early October. So you should have plenty of time to order the material from Mr. Conti. If/when you do order the material, let them know it is for this study group. They are very familiar with our group and Mr. Conti has been known to reach out and offer encouragement.

If you scroll back to the beginning of this thread, you will see a description of how our group operates. I believe these basic guidelines have worked well for us.

Regards,
Joe

**MarkRhodes** · 07-27-2018, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by padraig

If I reorder them from the website can I join in with the study projects? It might be some time before they arrive though.

By all means. We'd love to have you. (You need not buy them all at once. For now, TTI Volume 4 is all you need.)

**andyb** · 07-27-2018, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by losaltosjoe

Hi Padraig,

We would love to have you join our group. All are welcome! The study group was formed over a year ago to work through Robert Conti's Ticket To Improv DVD series. We will be wrapping up Volume 3, Project 3 on July 31 and will then begin the Volume 3 Bonus Track ("The Rummy") in early August. I estimate that we will begin Volume 4 in early October. So you should have plenty of time to order the material from Mr. Conti. If/when you do order the material, let them know it is for this study group. They are very familiar with our group and Mr. Conti has been known to reach out and offer encouragement.

If you scroll back to the beginning of this thread, you will see a description of how our group operates. I believe these basic guidelines have worked well for us.

Regards,
Joe

Hi Joe

I am thinking of jumping back in with vol 4, and that time scale work for me. As you may know I did vol 1 and then fell by the wayside. I am thinking about re-learning vol 1 between now and then, if "Padraig" wanted to join me that would be OK.

Andyb

**padraig** · 07-27-2018, 02:58 PM

Thanks for the replies people. I've just remembered, it wasn't the ticket to improv books I had, I think it was called jazz lines or something. Whichever one comes with the whole source code pack that I bought all at once.

There wasn't volumes 1-4 I don't think.

**losaltosjoe** · 07-27-2018, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by andyb

Hi Joe
I am thinking of jumping back in with vol 4, and that time scale work for me. As you may know I did vol 1 and then fell by the wayside. I am thinking about re-learning vol 1 between now and then, if "Padraig" wanted to join me that would be OK.
Andyb

Hi Andy, et al,

It would be great if you could join us for Volume 4! Here are some helpful links from the study group archive, in case you want to tackle Volume 1:

1. The TTI Study Group "Kickoff" Thread
Robert Conti's Ticket To Improv
- For those who need to order Ticket To Improv DVDs, perhaps the coupon code is still valid? (See post #1.)
- It was fun to look back, for example: Post #79 (I had never recorded a video before we started this group.). Post #90 (My first video, with an old webcam).

2. Volume 1, Project 1 (Satin Doll) Thread
"Satin Doll" Robert Conti's Ticket to Improv

3. Volume 1, Project 2 (Green Dolphin Street) Thread
"Green Dolphin Street" Robert Conti's Ticket To Improv

4. Volume 1, Project 3 (Autumn Leaves) Thread
"Autumn Leaves" Conti "Ticket to Improv" Vol. I

5. Volume 1, Project 4 (Take The A Train) Thread
"Take the A Train" Conti Ticket to Improv. Vol I Project 4

**losaltosjoe** · 07-29-2018, 07:01 PM

Here's my final take on Volume 3, Project 3 (Watermelon Man).

Key: Bb.
BPM: 104.
Bars 1-16 (head): Simple melody for Watermelon Man.
Bars 17-32 (1st solo): The Conti solo pretty much as written.
Bars 33-48 (2nd solo): I took a few liberties with the solo including trying to stuff in a Conti blues lick from his Big City Blues V1 DVD in bars 31-32. The 16th notes kind of got away from me...
Bars 49-64 (head): The melody again.

Another one in the books!

p.s., I'll be posting the thread for the Volume 3, Bonus Track (The Rummy!) around August 5 so there is still time to post your videos for Project 3.

Regards,
Joe

**MarkRhodes** · 08-03-2018, 07:49 PM

I mentioned that my laptop was acting up.
Ordered a new one.
It came but was defective, so I returned it.
That's all been squared away. (Money refunded)
The other day my girlfriend said to me, "Wait 'til your birthday and I'll give you one." Can't argue with that! So I will have a new one, but not until the first week of October.

I'm going to order a hub and see if I can make do with that in the meantime. (Two of the three USB ports no longer work and I can't update the drivers because the computer lacks something that would allow them to be installed. I lost a weekend trying to fix that. No more.)

Anyway, I'm still practicing and still part of the group, just not recording here lately. Maybe I'll try something with my iPhone tomorrow. No promises. We'll see. But I do want to say I'm happy this group is here and I'm happy to be a part of it. Looking forward to getting back on a regular schedule for Volume 4, and after that, wherever we go next....

**losaltosjoe** · 08-04-2018, 12:47 PM

Here is the link to Volume 3, Bonus Project ("The Rummy!")

Robert Conti TTI Vol 3, Bonus Project (The Rummy!)

**fep** · 08-18-2018, 03:50 PM

Here's my take

**losaltosjoe** · 08-19-2018, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by fep

Here's my take

Hi Frank,

I was really glad to see your post. You always make the projects sound so musical. At this point in my development, I pretty much stick to the script. But someday I'd like to make it flow like you do. Cheers.